On Monday First Nations children and their families who were caught up in the on-reserve child welfare system will be able to file for compensation.
The $23 billion settlement was signed in 2023. It settles two class action claims against the federal government.
The lawsuits were launched after the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled that Canada discriminated against First Nations children on reserve because it knowingly underfunded programs aimed to help them.
According to the website that holds information about the compensation, the first claims period applies to “removed child” and “removed child family classes.”
“Individuals who may be eligible for compensation under the period opening March 10, 2025 include First Nations individuals who were removed from their homes as Children between April 1, 1991, and March 31, 2022, while living on reserve or in the Yukon and placed into care funded by Indigenous Services Canada, as well as their Caregiving Parents or Caregiving Grandparents,” said a release from the Assembly of First Nations.
“The Removed Child and Removed Child Family classes are two of the nine classes under the final settlement agreement on compensation. The additional classes will have claims periods to be determined at a future date.”
Melissa Walterson and Karen Osachoff are two of the representative plaintiffs in the settlement.
They spoke to APTN National News host Dennis Ward about the agreement.
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